This blog doesn't endorse TV programs or products, but did you see the Academy Awards Sunday night? Right in the middle of it all was a commercial (or two) for Apple
Computer's new laptop. It's got a 17 inch screen, gorgeous resolution, is ultra-lightweight and all those other usual super "Apple" technological improvements that we've done to love and expect.

But this commercial bragged about something else. It bragged about the battery. It seems this battery can be charged to last as much as eight full hours on one plug-in. And it can be recharged about 1000 times. The advertisement pointed out that's three times the battery life that one normally gets for the ever-popular laptops that seem to be powering our businesses and lives these days.

Now, we're not suggesting that you run right out and buy an Apple 17-inch laptop. That would be very expensive (Nobody said they were cheap; they start at over $2000 each) and also defeat that wonderful Greenifying aspect of the computer, namely fewer laptops and batteries in our landfills. No, keep using the one you have until the very end of its life.

It's just nice to see that companies are starting to get it. They get that there's an alternative, Greenifying laptop computer choice out on the market right now. And chances are, by the time that you are ready to replace or upgrade what you are working with now, all the other computer companies will be offering similar long-lasting chargeables with extra-long battery life, too. And the prices will probably come down, as well.

It's good to see companies offering ways to Greenify businesses. It's great to see that they understand that being “environmentally sound” is a marketable, advertise-able benefit that will bring in sales. And it'll be even better when everybody gets in the Greenification game on that aspect of doing business.

There is a little environmental lawsuit that is setting the stage for some big repercussions starting this week. It pits the people of a small Montana mining town against a major chemical company facing federal charges of poisoning their homes and schools with asbestos.

Opening statements are scheduled in the case of U.S. vs. W.R. Grace and Co. and five of its executives, who are charged with knowingly exposing the residents of the town of Libby to the fibrous mineral linked to cancer.

The case stems from the mining for vermiculite from Zonolite Mountain near Libby. The mineral was then processed into products used for plumbing insulation, fireproofing and gardening. Mining began in 1920 and continued for about 70 years. The company’s “Zonolite” brand insulation is in some 35 million homes in the United States.

"This trial is one of the most complex and creative criminal prosecutions in the history of environmental regulation," said Andrew King-Ries, an assistant professor at the University of Montana School of Law.

The problem is that the vermiculite from the Libby mine was contaminated with naturally occurring asbestos mineral fibers, which can be inhaled and can cause mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

Libby residents believe the pollution has killed at least 225 people and sickened about 2,000 more in the area.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy has placed a gag order on the parties involved, but court documents are revealing.

"The defendants in this case knew the dangers of asbestos they released into the Libby, Montana air, yet they concealed the dangers, putting local residents at risk while enriching themselves," prosecutors said in their trial brief.

Lawyers for Maryland-based W.R. Grace deny their clients conspired to release asbestos, arguing that most of the releases occurred years before an applicable law was passed in 1990.

"The government has illogically charged that the defendants conspired in 1976 to violate a statute that would not exist for another 14 years," Grace said in its trial brief.

Libby is a town of about 2,600 people located in a forested valley of the Cabinet Mountains, about 100 miles northwest of Missoula, Mont.

If you’ve never been to Hong Kong, let me paint a scene for you. The city itself is like any major metropolis but set on a harbor. The water there is an amazing shade of brilliant blue green, like the bright blue green of a peacock feather. And buildings under construction are sheathed in scaffolding that is pale green.

The reason? Hong Kong builders use natural bamboo to build their scaffolding as high as they want.

It’s a fascinating phenomenon: earth-friendly bamboo being used to build lattices that construction workers stand on, as high as most metal construction crew frameworks built in this country. Bamboo is really more than just breakfast, lunch, and dinner for pandas.

It’s also one of the most renewable of resources. It’s being used in flooring, wall coverings and in kitchen-ware and cutting boards. Bamboo is the largest of the woody grasses on our planet and the fastest growing. A stick of bamboo is capable of growing 24 inches in a day, depending on soil, nutrients, and a steady supply of water.

We may be seeing more of this wonderful plant as we grow together as a planet. It’s a resource for the future and we hope you’ll consider it when the next opportunity to Greenify and grow your business comes up.

As you’re working on Greenifying your home and business, do you think about it as you toss another load of clothes from the washer into the dryer? You might have to go to the hardware store and special order them, but clothespins and the clothesline used to be the most basic and utilitarian components of a backyard.

When Americans finally got a chicken in every pot and a washer and dryer in every home, clotheslines began to represent poverty. A laundry line in the backyard was the norm in the 1970’s, but in the last 20 years became “just something that the lower classes did.” Communities outlawed them for the negative connotation that they offered to passersby.

In doing so, it’s almost impossible to calculate how much energy has been used to dry clothes. And most of those clothes could have been just easily and far more energy efficiently dried on a clothesline. Did you know that dryers are by far the most wasteful appliance in the house, gobbling up 6% of your electric bill?

Now, a group calling itself “Project Laundry List” is successfully lobbying state governments to allow you to dry your duds any way you wish. So far, Florida, Utah, and Colorado have all supported "right-to-dry" laws. Change is in the wind, along with a lot more sheets, socks and underwear.

And just so you are aware, here are some clothes-conscious facts. Hanging your clothes on a line to dry is better for them. Colors linger longer, giving your clothes a longer life. The fabric holds up longer--dryer lint, after all, is nothing but a thin layer that has been sheared from your clothes. The high heat of a dryer can also play havoc with the size of your clothes, so that something with a perfect fit comes out misshapen or, worse, six sizes smaller.

So this year’s big push to Greenify might see you looking in grandma’s closet. Keep searching, because grandma never throws out anything, including her clothespins.

A measure introduced this past week by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) would establish a national voucher program to encourage drivers to trade in older, less fuel efficient cars, trucks or SUVs for a more fuel efficient vehicle.

It’s billed as the “Cash for Clunkers” program. It would give drivers a credit of between $2,500 and $4,500 to turn in fuel-inefficient vehicles to be scrapped, and purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle. The traded-in vehicles would have to be drivable, have a fuel economy of no more than 18 miles per gallon, and have been registered for at least the past 120 days. Vouchers could also be redeemed for transit fares for participating local public transportation agencies. The program would operate for four years, from 2009 – 2012, and is expected to encourage the early retirement of up to one million vehicles per year.

This is Congress’ attempt at encouraging drivers to trade in less fuel efficient vehicles in a tough economic client.

“If enacted, this bill would be an important part of helping getting America’s struggling automobile industry back on its feet – and help consumers who are concerned about covering the cost of buying a more fuel efficient vehicle,” said Senator Feinstein.

The bill would also…

Save an estimated 40,000 to 80,000 barrels per day of motor fuel by the end of the fourth year.

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions between 6.6 million metric tons to 7.6 million metric tons, or the equivalent of removing 1.1 million to 2.2 million vehicles from the road in one year, (based on an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 vouchers issued per year).

Reduce nitrogen oxides, which cause ground-level ozone (a leading cause of respiratory health problems, like asthma), by 3,043 short tons (2,761 metric tons) by 2013, (based on an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 vouchers issued per year).

The senators hope this will compliment a new fuel economy law, which if passed, will raise average fuel economy standards for America’s fleet of vehicles by at least 10 miles per gallon over 10 years or from 25 to at least 35 mpg by the year 2020.

What has you feeling most concerned: Greenifying the environment or the state of our economy? A recent poll shows for most Americans, worries about jobs and the economy outweigh their concern about environmental issues.

According to the latest survey by the Pew Research Center, strengthening the nation’s economy and improving the jobs situation now rank as the two top priorities by a respective 85 and 82 percent of those surveyed.

In the jobs category, this is up 21 points since the previous version of this same polling material, one year ago.

As a category, “protecting the environment” fell 15 points on our national worry list in the past year. While it’s still a top priority with 41 percent of voters, that’s down from 56 percent in the past 12 months.

There is still concern about the energy debate, with 60 percent of Americans calling it a “top priority.” Energy prices and the need for independence from fossil fuels has risen steadily for the past six years beginning in 2002, when the poll found 42 percent cited energy concerns as a top issue.

While the poll shows that some voters are less concerned about the environment and more concerned about the economy, it should be noted that the mood among those surveyed seems to be a group concern. That obviously not everyone polled is unemployed, therefore they are being concerned about their fellow man, which ought to be a prime concern of all of us.

The survey also showed that while a growing number of us are worried about the economy, there is attention being paid to the economic benefits that clean energy systems can provide, with a growing number of home and business-owners having first-hand knowledge of those good qualities because they’ve already begun to Greenify.

If you’re watching what the “Big Boys” do and trying to pattern your success after theirs, here’s something to take note of: Wal-Mart, the biggest retailer in the world is attempting to Greenify with a makeover of its global supply chain.

Wal-Mart has a vision of going green, and is now demanding its suppliers, including many based in China, to live up to environmentally friendly manufacturing practices and product-safety guidelines to make that vision come true.

The Arkansas-based retailer got together with more than 1,000 suppliers in Beijing, China, telling them that change was coming. And not just for the Chinese suppliers. The company is holding suppliers to higher manufacturing and operations standards to “build a more environmentally and socially responsible global supply chain,” announced company executives.

Here is what CEO Lee Scott had to say, “A company that cheats on overtime and on the age of its labor, that dumps its scraps and chemicals in our rivers, that does not pay its taxes or honor its contracts--will ultimately cheat on the quality of its products. And cheating on the quality of products is the same as cheating on customers," Scott said. "We will not tolerate that at Wal-Mart," Scott stated.

The specifics of the new policies, requirements and deadlines for what Wal-Mart called its "Global Responsible Sourcing Initiative" were equally as bold, and most were targeted at suppliers based in China. The requirements will force the factories to meet environmental standards in China by 2009 (elsewhere by 2011), make a 20% improvement in energy efficiency, and source 95% of their production from factories that receive high ratings on environmental and social practices.

If the world’s largest retailer can get its suppliers to Greenify, then maybe its time to consider how smaller companies can also go green in their own place and time as well.

Have you thought about how sustainable giving could Greenify your business' holiday season? Going green for the season means more than just putting up a tree. (We'll talk about that soon enough!) But first let's consider your annual corporate gift giving? If you plan now, there are new and better ways to give back to the environment.
For instance, Renewable Choice gives you the opportunity to invest and promote projects to Go Green. "Choice Bundles" are unique gifts that invest in wind power development and other forms of carbon dioxide reduction projects that "offset" to help leave the planet a little cleaner and greener for everyone.

At $25 per individual / $55 per family gift, they offset the price of home electricity, auto and flight emissions, even the cost of charging laptops and cell phones.

Another option for the more cost conscious among us are environmentally friendly shopping bags. You can have them printed up by any of various companies with your company's logo or holiday greetings or both.

Both of those gifts will need to be ordered well in advance, so start now. But if you're going to need last minute Greenification gifts, we recommend memberships to any of the environmental groups we've known for years such as…

Joining these groups and help us all have a green holiday season for years to come. And if you haven't already, give yourself a great gift by joining the Green Business Alliance and help Greenify your office or home for years to come.

Greenify your office in the most obvious way possible: get out those recycling sorting bins. You need them to Greenify. And set a tone. Put them out where everyone can see you are Going Green. Slightly messy? All the better. Shows folks you are using them.

Have you ever gone into a business carrying a can of soda that you finished on the premises and when looked around for the recycling bin, there weren’t any?

I have, and to be quite honest, I’ve been a little shocked. In fact, I was so shocked that I have carried that can right back out with me in order to find the right place to recycle it. With all the talk about the energy required to produce an aluminum can being enough to fuel a light bulb for an entire year, why aren’t we all recycling now?

No, we’re not. And it’s so easy. The bins are easily available in most office supply stores, or you can make them on your own by simply designating bins for aluminum, plastic, and paper. Put the plastic and paper out on the curb in your local region’s recycling bins and consider taking the aluminum cans to be recycled at the local aluminum plant. You might find your recycling byproduct (cash!) will provide enough “fuel” for a little company party every month or two.

There’s nothing like recycling grumpy employees with breakfast brought in or a spot of cake in the afternoon, right? And think how impressed your customers will be with your efforts to Greenify your little corner of the planet!